Response to Intervention

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Tier 1

While students with anxiety may require the following supports, all students would likely also benefit from these supports as well. If tier 1 supports are made universal, the teacher may not even notice any issues with anxious children-- their performance may be indistinguishable from their peers. Some Tier 1 supports may be

• Providing a schedule of the day on the board

• Giving warnings of upcoming transitions or changes (assemblies, fire drills, etc.)

• Providing sensory tools to help students self-regulate

• Having a corner dedicated to self regulation 

• Teaching mindfulness to the whole class

• Teaching breathing strategies to the whole class to help regulate emotions

• Teaching how the brain works to the whole class

• Providing alternative opportunities to show knowledge as opposed to getting up and speaking in front of a group

• Building a relationship with all students so the teacher is a trusted figure

• Implementing consistant classroom routines

• Creating a safe learning environment

• Creating transition plans to help move students from grade to grade

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Tier 2

The needs of each student will vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder they have/ symptoms they experience. One thing you could do at this tier is to work with students to develop attainable goals. Some other examples could be:

• working on social skills to help children with social anxiety feel more comfortable when in a group. These children, like children with autism or non-verbal learning disabilities, may sometimes experience Theory of Mind and benefit from some small group instruction in this area.

• You could explicitly teach Henry Cloud's Log & Dispute method to a small group. (See Classroom Supports for more info)

• Students may benefit from having specific tools, such as a sensory tools to help them regulate. One child may benefit from having a specific stuffed animal to hold close when they need to feel calm, or another child may benefit from carrying a picture of their parent in their agenda to help with separation anxiety. 

•  You may need to accommodate students who are triggered by a certain thing, for example a small group of students may experience test anxiety and benefit from differentiated means of evaluation. 

• Teach positive self-talk in a small group.

• Some students may benefit from having regular "reality check ins" with a teacher to make sure their goals are attainable and they aren't setting themselves up for distress. 

• A small group of students may benefit from having permission to leave the room or move to a new environment when they feel they need to do so.

• Developing signals with students to give them more insight into what may be coming up next may benefit some students (for example nodding to the clock when there are ten minutes before the class changes activities, or a student pulling out a specific book may let the teacher know that the student doesn't want to be called on to answer a discussion question aloud)

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Tier 3 

If the students' needs are not being met after the first two tiers fo support, they will require the support of another professional or one-on-one assistance. School psychologists and counsellors may work alongside the classroom teacher to support the student. If testing has not already been done, the child may take a Psycho-Educational Assessment. The school may be able to provide this service, or parents may choose to pursue an assessment privately. 

If the student's anxiety is prohibiting the student from being able to be in the classroom, the child psychologists may work with the student to administer one of the following treatment options to address the anxiety and get them back into the classroom and ready to learn:

• Behaviour Therapy (Graded Exposure)

• Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Medication

 

See Parent Resource tab for more information on these treatments. 

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